Telcos Report Disruptions in Social Media, Web Browsing During Internet Slowdowns

Telecom operators in Pakistan have reported disruptions in social media services and web browsing during periods of internet slowdowns, as per feedback submitted to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

This follows the PTA’s investigation into widespread concerns about the deteriorating quality of internet services in the country.

The findings were detailed in a response to the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication, with each operator providing specific insights into the issues faced by their networks.

Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) reported varied disruptions in social media platforms. Jazz and Telenor observed blocking issues on platform X (formerly Twitter) but no other abnormalities in web browsing or data services. Zong, on the other hand, noted a decline in data traffic across all leading applications, with a significant 16 percent reduction in TikTok traffic.

Ufone highlighted intermittent degradation in the performance of top over-the-top (OTT) platforms, though no issues were found in general web browsing.

Fixed-line operators painted a similar picture of disruption. PTCL reported intermittent degradation in social media services, including TikTok, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram, but no issues with web browsing. Cybernet echoed this, identifying interruptions in both social media usage and web browsing on its networks. In contrast, Nayatel maintained that its services remained unaffected, with no issues reported in either category.

TWA, another fixed-line operator, acknowledged interruptions in video streaming and calls, along with slow browsing speeds. The company admitted that its bandwidth capacity needs to be expanded to address the growing demand for internet services. According to the PTA, these disruptions, coupled with the increasing use of VPNs bypassing content delivery networks (CDNs), have exacerbated the strain on Pakistan’s existing submarine cable capacity of 9.5 Gbps.

According to PTA, the disruptions were part of routine trends in data throughput and usage patterns rather than anomalies. The authority has communicated its findings to the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication, outlining the need for systemic enhancements to address the ongoing challenges and ensure reliable internet services for users nationwide.